Embodiments of the invention relate to printed wiring boards and in particular to the detection of early failures in printed wiring boards due to the influence of electric fields.
Failures in printed wiring boards (PWBs), such as PWBs used for motherboards, have been associated with the motherboard having signals passing through laminated layers of copper traces separated by dielectric material. In other words, electric fields caused by electrical signals may damage the PWBs, leading to PWB failure.
Conventional burn-in techniques stress circuit components by subjecting the components to increased stress levels, such as increased heat and/or increased voltages for a relatively short period of time, relative to a life span of the components. The burn-in is designed to detect components that would fail prematurely during normal operation.